Prep: 5 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 25 min · Makes: 2 drinks
Ingredients
- 70g dried quick-cook tapioca pearls
- 2 rooibos teabags (or 2 tsp roasted barley tea)
- 300ml boiling water
- 200ml milk
- 2 tbsp brown sugar syrup
- Ice
Bubble tea caffeine calculator
About 130mg caffeine — roughly 2.1 espresso shots.
Typical values; brewing strength varies by shop. Adult limit 400mg/day, 200mg in pregnancy.
Method
- Steep the rooibos 6–7 minutes, then chill.
- Boil 1 litre of water, add the pearls, stir until they float, then simmer 5 minutes covered and rest 5 minutes off the heat. Drain and stir into 2 tbsp brown sugar syrup.
- Add pearls and ice to each glass.
- Pour over the tea, then the milk.
Troubleshooting
- Weak taste: rooibos needs longer steeping than black tea; use 3 bags.
- Not quite "milk tea": add a drop of vanilla or a spoon of condensed milk.
Variations
- Taro or strawberry milk: naturally caffeine-free.
- Decaf black tea works if you want the classic taste (2–5mg caffeine).
- Hojicha is low but not zero caffeine.
Storage
Drink within 4 hours of cooking the pearls; they harden in the fridge. The tea base keeps 3–4 days chilled. See how to store boba.
Making it for a café or event? See bubble tea supplies or our one-day training course.
Unlike other beverages, this drink is a recent invention - created in Taiwan. One day a Taiwanese tea stand had the bright idea of adding tapioca balls to a non-fizzy drink to create original and tasty beverages. These drinks are known for their bubbles that stay at the top (froth) and bottom (tapioca pearls or boba) of the drink. Today, boba tea is "the drink" in Asia--and is becoming more popular around the world as well. This drink is brewed by blending tea with milk, fruit and fruit juice, then adding tasty tapioca pearls before shaking. Bubble tea is also made with a wide array of types of tea leaves including black, green, white, and oolong tea.Here in the UK, bubble tea is all the rage, but it's been a favourite in places like China since the 1980s.Is There Caffeine In The Bubble Tea?For a variety of reasons, tea has varying amounts of caffeine, which may not appeal to all tea drinkers. When submerged in hot water, caffeine has a somewhat bitter taste, since it belongs to the xanthine family. Caffeine is naturally present in teas such as jasmine tea, green tea, organic black tea, thai tea, and other tea leaves.Since tea contains varying amounts of caffeine, it's important to understand how much caffeine is in the bubble tea you're drinking. The benefits of caffeine include improved alertness, metabolism stimulation, and mood enhancement, but not everyone can or wants to consume it. Due to its mood-enhancing properties, regular tea drinkers can build up a tolerance to caffeine, making them have to drink more of it to achieve the same results. Furthermore, caffeine's basic effects, including restlessness, insomnia, and anxiety, can cause discomfort for some tea drinkers. Caffeine can cause these side effects, so those who might be prone to them should know how much caffeine is in their drinks.Non-Caffeinated Bubble Tea OptionsNot all bubble tea contains caffeine. There is a variety of bubble tea flavours that can be enjoyed caffeine-free. Other bubble tea flavours use fruit, chocolate, or flavoured milk as a substitute for tea. Here are some caffeine-free bubble tea recipe you can enjoy:Decaffeinated Matcha Bubble TeaWhile matcha is high in caffeine, there are decaffeinated matcha powders sold in the market which contain absolutely no caffeine at all. Decaffeinated matcha milk tea is a perfect alternative for caffeine-sensitive matcha lovers!Chamomile Bubble TeaA relaxing tea, chamomile tea is perhaps best known for being naturally caffeine-free. Due to its root family membership in the Asteraceae family, chamomile is a natural tea which contains no caffeine at all, making it a perfect choice who likes the taste of tea but is caffeine intolerant. Chamomile tea can be used as an alternative to commonly used teas as a bubble tea base, such as black, oolong, jasmine, or green tea. Chamomile is best known for its sweet, mellow, and floral flavour. Try using coconut milk with a dash of condensed milk when making chamomile bubble tea for a great addition of nutty flavour!Hibiscus Bubble TeaCaffeine is not present in hibiscus tea. It doesn't matter what kind of hibiscus tea you choose, a warm cup of hibiscus flower tea or refreshing agua de Jamaica, no caffeine is added to your cup. Hibiscus is fruity, sour, and sweet, almost comparable to the taste of cranberries. When using hibiscus tea as the base of your bubble tea, try adding tart cherry juice to complement the fruity flavour.Fruit Bubble TeaSweetened fruits can also be a great substitute for tea. You may adjust the sweetness of your bubble tea to your desired level. Here are a few great fruits that you can use for your bubble tea:You may also try mixing fruits together in cups with a simple syrup for a unique-tasting and personalized bubble tea. Fruit bubble tea with milk tastes best with tapioca pearl, while fruit tea with no milk or creamer goes well with popping boba. Check our fruit bubble tea combinations guide.Flavoured Milk TeaUsually made with milk, sugar, flavourings, and food colouring, flavoured milk is a sweetened dairy drink. You can give the milk a tantalizing taste without adding too much unnecessary sugar or sugar syrup, regardless of whether you drink cow's milk, almond milk or soy milk. You can try some of these milk flavours with boba pearl for a bubble tea experience:You may add sweetened condensed milk to any of these, or top it with heavy cream for extra flavour.Frequently Asked QuestionsCan you get bubble tea without caffeine?Bubble tea is originally made with teas which contain caffeine. However, to cater to the growing market of bubble tea, some bubble tea shops serve bubble teas with non-caffeinated teas, fruits, or flavoured kinds of milk as substitutes for tea. With the help of this article, you can make bubble tea without caffeine at home without dropping by a bubble tea shop.Is it better to be caffeine-free?Not drinking caffeine can be very beneficial for your blood pressure. It has been shown to raise blood pressure levels due to the stimulatory effect it has on our nervous system.ConclusionBubble tea is a popular drink among many cultures around the world. It can be enjoyed as bubble milk tea, regular iced tea, cold and sweet, or hot and traditionally sweetened. The different ways to enjoy bubble tea are what makes it so versatile. Caffeine-sensitive drinkers can enjoy bubble tea without worrying about caffeine. Customize your drink by making a bubble tea with your favourite fruit or flavouring!Let us know your favourite non-caffeinated bubble tea flavour in the comments!
- Mango Boba Milk Tea
- Strawberry Boba Milk Tea
- Taro Milk Tea
- Wintermelon Pearl Milk Tea
- Honeydew Boba Milk Tea
- Passion Fruit Bubble Tea
- Blueberry Bubble Tea
- Lychee Boba Tea
- Dragon Fruit Boba
- Chocolate Bubble Tea
- Brown Sugar Boba
- Caramel Bubble Tea
- Cinnamon Boba
- Pumpkin Spice Boba
- Peanut Butter Boba
- Cookies and Cream Bubble Tea
- Vanilla Boba
More like this: browse all our bubble tea recipes.
People also ask
- How much caffeine is in bubble tea?
- Around 50–160mg in a 500ml cup, depending on whether the base is black, oolong, green or herbal. Read the full answer
- How do you make popping boba at home?
- Blend sodium alginate into juice, drip it into a calcium bath, and lift the spheres out after 60 seconds. Read the full answer
- How do you make lychee jelly for bubble tea?
- Boil lychee juice with agar for two minutes, set it in a shallow tray, and cut it into 1cm cubes. Read the full answer
- What do you need to make bubble tea at home?
- Strong tea, milk or fruit, brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearls and a wide straw — a kit covers the rest. Read the full answer
Planning a menu with more choice?
We can build an event menu with milk tea, fruit tea and caffeine-free options, with clear ingredient information for your guests.
